The Fountains

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:12:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year

Love, The Fountains

Happy New Years Eve!

2011-12-31T11:44:00.001-06:00

I'm trying to pick up the house some & D is going to brave the grocery store & then we're going to have a quiet & uneventful New Years Eve! Because I just can't resist, here is Denver...

As you can see by his hands - he's ready to party! He is moving around like crazy! :) Anyhow - have a (safe and) Happy New Years Eve! See y'all next year!

My First "Smart" Phone

2011-12-28T21:20:00.000-06:00

Denver LOVES my phone. I'm sure it's the lights and the fact that it's pretty lightweight and he can get his little hands around it. When we're driving in the car for very long, I play him music from it to help him go to sleep, so he knows that it makes noise. So, in other words - he's a big fan of it. So, it was pretty cool that he got his own "smart" phone for Christmas. It's a bit bigger than mine so it's harder for him to hold onto but it has different colored lights & it sings to him so he will stare at it and smile for a long time. I tried to help him play with it today and he did really well holding onto it. I took some pictures because he looked so darn cute.

Looking at these pictures just makes me laugh!

I'm Rollin'

2011-12-27T19:53:00.001-06:00

I have such exciting news! Denver rolled over for the first time today! The first time he did it, we had just finished a bottle and we were laying in bed. I was so shocked! I wanted to make sure that it wasn't just a fluke, so I flipped him over and he did it two more times. I tried to show Darren when he got home but Denver wouldn't roll over so I thought I might have been a bit quick in assuming that was a milestone that he had reached until later tonight, while we were on his room playing I layed him down and guess what? He rolled over again and then I ran and got my phone to see if he would do it again so I could record it and he did. I sound like an idiot but I was so excited! Sometimes he smiles afterward and sometimes he looks a little shocked like he doesn't know quite what happened!

Coco's Christmas Blanket

2011-12-26T16:34:00.000-06:00

My mother-in-law gave me this super soft blanket for Christmas, to put on the back of the couch. I took it out of the package this morning so that I could throw it over my lap. I put it down when I got up and guess who found it?

She LOVES the blanket. I went to pick it up and I had to drag it off the couch with her on it. So, it seems my sweet girl got a blanket for Christmas!

Denver's First Toga Party

2011-12-22T08:14:00.000-06:00

Since we brought Denver home, he's been sleeping in a pack n play (in the bassinet), propped up on his boppy pillow. The pillow made him feel more secure & kept him propped up (which the Dr. recommended because he was having some drainage/sinus issues for a good while). I originally had the pillow in the bassinet sideways so he was facing the side of the bassinet but as he got longer I turned the pillow so he was sleeping facing the end of the bassinet. Here recently, he's decided that he doesn't want to sleep in the boppy anymore. He wiggles and he squirms until he's completely out of it & laying flat. We've been having a lot of sleeping issues lately (he was going through his 3 month growth spurt) and we're trying to adjust to him sleeping flat in the bassinet. He is very squirmy & keeps making his way across the bassinet & then touches the sides or the ends and wakes himself and me up. I was desperate this week (he had been waking up 4 times a night to eat) so I dug through all of his stuff and found a swaddle blanket/sack that would fit him. I wrapped him up & put him in his bouncer and bounced him to sleep. Thankfully, he only got up twice to eat last night and didn't wake up because of his squirming, but when I woke up this morning, this is what I saw...

It almost looks like he is wearing a mini toga. So cute but I'm completely amazed that he could get out of it. I had it tight. That gives you an idea of how much he wiggles and squirms! We're going to try it again tonight & see what kind of luck we have!

Talking to Daddy

2011-12-21T23:48:00.002-06:00

When D got home tonight Denver was still awake & was being quite the little character. D picked him up, and sat him in his lap and they "talked" for awhile. He carried on like this for about half an hour before he decided he'd talked enough and was ready to be rocked. I just love to hear him get worked up and "talk" so much. I could sit and listen to him all day.

Tuckered Out

2011-12-20T21:52:00.001-06:00

Today, my sister had to go to the hospital to get monitored and checked out. She's 34 weeks pregnant and was having some pain so Denver & I picked her up and took her to the hospital. Denver was so good and just looked around and checked everything out. After about an hour or so he was getting a little restless so I took him out of the stroller to change his diaper and feed him.

He fell asleep like this, on a hospital bench while he was eating. We were just a few feet away from the room he was born in!

I picked him up and moved him to his stroller and he slept for all of 20 minutes before his nosey behind woke up and wanted to sit up & check things out again! My sister and niece are ok but please keep them in your prayers. She has 3 more weeks to go before she can safely deliver.

Rice Cereal

2011-12-19T22:33:00.002-06:00

I gave Denver rice cereal for the first time tonight! He's going through his 3 month growth spurt and is getting up 3-4 times a night to eat and I'm going to be honest - I'm about to die of exhaustion. He doesn't always sleep very well during the day so I don't get any rest during the day and I'm not getting any at night so I was trying to think of any way to get some relief. I gave him 1T. Rice cereal and mixed it with 3T. formula and he sucked it down pretty good. I also gave him his regular 5 ounces of formula with it so I'm praying that will help. We were just a tad messy with it. This is what happened between bites. Apparently - momma isn't fast enough. Pray for us that this cereal will hold him a little longer until he starts sleeping through the night again!

Weekend Recap

2011-12-18T19:35:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not - I didn't take a single picture this weekend. I was in a wedding on Saturday and had the rehearsal on Friday. We got up and I picked up the house and hung out with Denver while D went to the grocery store. He got back & I got ready to go to the rehearsal which was at 3:30. After we got done, I came home and cooked dinner for Denver's Nana & Papa who came to stay with him so D and I could attend the rehearsal dinner later that night & then the wedding on Saturday. I had to be at the church at 11:30 so I could get my hair and make-up done so D and his parents took Denver to lunch and to do a little Christmas shopping. D came to the wedding and we enjoyed a beautiful reception, good food and some dancing, which was a lot of fun but we were both so ready to get home to our sweet boy! Today, I got up and made breakfast before Nana & Papa headed home and D headed to work. Denver's gums have really been bothering him & he's been really fussy so I've held and rocked him pretty much all day. All in all, it was a busy & fun weekend. I'll take some pictures of Denver soon!

Our First "Family" Christmas Card

2011-12-17T09:27:00.001-06:00

I got Denver's Christmas pictures in last week, so I sat down to design our Christmas card. I have waited SO long to get to do one with pictures of our child. It's funny the "trivial" things you think about when you are waiting (for God's timing) to be a parent.

So, I was overjoyed that I got to sit down and create one this year and show off our precious Gift from God.

I normally use Shutterfly but I was late in getting his pictures done, so I was pressed for time so I decided to try out Walgreens and their same day printing service and I have to tell you - I was very pleased.

Here is our card...

I found a coupon online for $15, but I was able to buy 60 photo cards (with envelopes) and have them printed the same day, with tax for $32!

I was very pleased. I will definitely be using Walgreens again! Now it's really starting to feel like Christmas! Wish me luck in getting them in the mail! :)

A Visit with Santa

2011-12-15T20:52:00.001-06:00

We took Denver to go see Santa this afternoon. He didn't seemed phased at all. We took him to Bass Pro Shops at the mall because we heard they had a pretty good set up and you get a 4x6 picture for FREE, then if you want to buy more you can.

He was so "excited" afterward. He was shaking and smiling & squealing - it was too cute. We then headed into the mall to look around and do a little shopping. We stopped in Gymboree and had a fashion show with all of the hats.

D and I couldn't stop laughing! Denver was such a good sport about it!

Christmas Decor

2011-12-14T23:06:00.000-06:00

I didn't really feel like going all out this year, but I did put up our baby tree and a few arrangements of ornaments so it feels a little festive around here.

This is on our coffee table. We got that tray for our wedding & I love it! ALL of the ornaments that I used are from the Dollar Tree.

I'm not sure why but a couple years ago I saw this stand in the Southern Living at Home catalog and HAD to have it. It's still to this day one of my favorite purchases :) This is on the bar in the kitchen - with more Dollar Tree ornaments.

This is the dining room table. Now, don't judge because of the wrinkled tablecloth. I can't find my iron so I got some wrinkle release I'm going to use this week. I got some red ribbon that I'm going to add to the candlesticks so they don't look so bare.

I got a couple little glittery trees at the dollar store too.

They were covered in glitter, so I couldn't resist. :)

Our stockings. Boys on the left, girls on the right.

This is a close up of the grown up stockings.

Denver's stocking.

Coco's stocking.

And our tree. I just noticed in this picture how bare the top is - I need to get something spiky & sparkly to stick out of the top!

Believe it or not, every single ornament has glitter on it - I love glitter!!!

A little closer. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

3 Months Old

2011-12-13T20:44:00.000-06:00

It is almost completely impossible for me to wrap my brain around the fact that Denver is 3 months old. I'm with him every single day and I still cannot tell you where the time has gone. I will say though that we've had some tough times (with tummy issues) and some wonderful times (his first smile, etc) and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. God has so beaded D and I with this precious little boy that we are SO IN LOVE WITH! I cannot imagine my life without him and I'm so, so glad and thankful every day that God let's me wake up (even at 4am) and be his mom! Ok, enough mushy stuff - and a little about what my sweet boy is up to.

Denver weighs (as of last week) 15 pounds and 12 1/2 ounces. He wears 0-3 clothes but has grown out of pajamas that size. He is in a size 1 diaper still but will for sure be moving up when we finish this box ;) He drinks 5 ounces every 3 hours, and still sleeps through the night. He has been trying very hard to hold his bottle on his own. He can for a couple of seconds but we're working on longer. He can now (knowingly) remove his pacifier from his mouth. Before, he could "side swipe" it but now he can reach up & grab it. He loves sitting up & looking around. He wants to do that the majority of the day. He still has tummy time, now he has it 2-3 times a day. Sometimes he's content for just a minute or two but in the evenings he's starting to go a little longer. He's very interested in what's going on around him. He's a very happy/content baby unless you try to make him sit/Kay when he doesn't want to or in a position he doesn't want to be in - then $h*t hits the fan! He's starting to fight his carseat. He tries to sit up and gets frustrated that he's not strong enough to yet and that he's buckled in. He recently rode around sitting up in his stroller. He was throwing a major fit in his carrier so we took him out and put him in the stroller and he loved looking around. It's so exciting to see the things that catch his attention and make him smile but it's also bittersweet that he's growing so fast! We'll be celebrating his first birthday before we know it!

Playing

2011-12-12T08:50:00.000-06:00

Denver seems to be feeling better and was in such a good mood today. Then again, he's in a good mood pretty much everyday. We played and played today and he wound up going to be at 8:30, which used to happen when he was brand new but hasn't happened in a very long time. Anyhow, he spent a good bit of time in his exersaucer today. He's still a little wobbly but he wants to put weight on his legs so he really likes being in it.

He was moving around so much that I didn't get a good picture, so I took a little video.

YouTube Video

Enjoy grandparents! :)

Christmas Time

2011-12-11T19:04:00.000-06:00

Denver is such a good helper these days! While dad was at work we decided to put up mommy's Fall decor and get out our baby Christmas tree. Denver sat in his swing and helped mommy decorate it.

YouTube Video

Then we decided to take a milk/Dr Pepper/tummy time/potty break before we wrapped some presents.

Can you believe how long he is?

He was a big help when it came to wrapping presents! We are (very) slowly but surely getting ready for Christmas around here! I'll post some pictures of our tree soon!

A Few More

2011-12-10T13:01:00.000-06:00

We got a couple more sneak peeks, so I thought I'd share...

This onesie was a gift from a sweet college friend of mine & couldn't be more true after struggling with infertility & miscarriages.

I'm sure all moms think their children are adorable but I could just eat him up with a spoon! I simply adore this little boy and those chubby cheeks! By the way, that's our tree topper. I wanted to take something of "ours" for his pictures and that's the only thing I could think of. I really liked how it turned out!

This is one of my favorites. I just LOVE that little face!

A Sneak Peak of Denver's Christmas Pictures

2011-12-09T19:05:00.001-06:00

Here are a few "sneak peek" pictures the photographer sent us of Denver's Christmas pictures...

I just love them all - he did such a good job!

Guess What?

2011-12-09T07:08:00.000-06:00

Someone decided he wanted to hold his own bottle today!

He is stubborn enough that he doesn't do it very often or unless he wants to (there is no getting him to do it) but he did it nonetheless! We have Christmas pictures this afternoon - wish us luck!

Up In The Air

2011-12-07T10:34:00.000-06:00

I just had to take a picture of Denver like this...

Every single time I put him down or go to change his diaper - both of his legs go up in the air! He looks so cute and he ought to have abs of steel pretty soon! :)

Under The Weather

2011-12-06T18:29:00.000-06:00

We stayed germ free for as long as we could but I think the colder weather & sick people at the store and germs from other children have finally gotten to Denver and he's not feeling very well. He got really fussy at the end of our Thanksgiving travels and so I thought something might be going on. Since then, he's been a bit congested and yesterday evening it sounded like it was moving into his chest. I called and made a Drs. appointment for him to go this morning.

All bundled up and on our way to our appointment!

Asleep in the Drs office. He did really well at the Dr! He loves looking around at all of the stuff hanging on the wall (He takes after his mom in that respect, I'm grown and I still mess with all the stuff before the Dr comes in)! They had to check the oxygen levels in his blood so they needed to use a monitor on his foot. The only problem is that Denver wasn't having any part of it. I think his feet are ticklish because he always curls his toes up and pulls his feet away when you rub on the bottom of them. Anyhow, he wouldn't his foot still so they decided to tape the monitor to him. That still didn't work so they got a nurse to hold his legs down, me keep him still and the Dr held the monitor and got the reading. Denver "talked" and smiled the whole time! His oxygen level was good and they figured out he has Bronchiolitis which can possibly get worse before it gets better but the Dr thinks we caught it early so he should be better before too long. The trip completely wore him out because he slept the whole way home & then for awhile in his carrier when he got home.

Seeing him sick and hearing that poor cough is heartbreaking!

He didn't seem to want to wake up so I just transferred him to his bouncer and let him continue to nap.

We have to do a breathing treatment every 4 hours until he starts getting better and then we can stretch it out some. Pray that my sweet boy gets better soon!

Holiday Jammies

2011-12-05T17:14:00.000-06:00

Denver has 5 or 6 pairs of Christmas jammies and I was so afraid he would only get to wear them once, or not at all if we waited to wear them so I went ahead and got them out and he's been wearing them the last few nights. I love, love, love holiday outfits!

Isn't a sleeping baby the sweetest thing in the world?

Someone noticed the remote today so I let him hold it while I folded clothes. I just adore those little hands! We'll share more Christmas jammies soon!

A visit from Memaw

2011-12-04T11:09:00.000-06:00

Memaw was in town for my sister's baby shower yesterday so she stayed with us and spent some time with Denver. They ate their breakfast together this morning and he sat with her and "talked" to her for a long time.

It was so sweet to see and we certainly can't wait for her to come visit again!

Baby Shower & a Bank

2011-12-03T20:20:00.000-06:00

Today was my sister's baby shower (she is expecting a little girl in February). Denver was so good while I was trying to get ready to go! He sat on the bathroom counter & just watched and "talked" to me the whole time.

He was really good at the shower and there were lots of people that helped "entertain" him. :) My mom was in from out of town (she recently moved) and so Denver got to cuddle and visit with his Memaw.

They had lots to talk and catch up on. Ok, one of my latest craft projects was a piggy bank for Marleigh's room. I'm so pleased with the way it turned out!

I just love the little red bow! I can't wait to see it in her room!

My Boys

2011-12-02T19:24:00.000-06:00

Today Denver woke up and ate and acted like he wanted to go back to sleep so D put him in bed next to him and they both went back to sleep.

My sweet boys!

I think Denver is already starting to teethe - he's been fussier than normal, drooling, chewing on the nipple of his bottle and trying to chew on his hand. I can't believe he is growing so fast! Today, we wore our first Christmas outfit. Doesn't he look adorable?

He was looking at his daddy.

I just adore this little boy!

Happy 1st Birthday Clay!

2011-12-01T18:16:00.001-06:00

Clay, Somebody wants to tell you something...

Happy Birthday Clay! We love you and hope you have a fantastic day!

A Friend & Baby Massage

2011-11-30T21:22:00.000-06:00

Today I had to run out for awhile so my friend and her daughter (who is exactly 6 months older than Denver) came over to watch him for a couple of hours.

He loved watching her play and she was so interested in him (and his paci, and my magazines, and Coco's dog food, etc). :) After they "played" Denver was ready for a bath and a bottle (go figure). Every night after our bath we have a "baby massage". Denver seems to really enjoy it and we lather him up with lotion and "talk" before we get his jammies on.

He used to get upset when I had to put him on his tummy to get his back but here lately you can tell he's enjoying it more.

Sitting Up!

2011-11-28T21:20:00.001-06:00

Denver is wanting to sit up more and more these days. He'll sit in his bumbo for awhile but he'd much rather you let him sit on your lap and just hold him around his waist. I decided to sit him in the corner of the couch and see how he would like that.

He seemed to like it pretty well. Of course, Coco had to come and see what he was up to and get in some of the pictures.

That little fuzzy blur is Coco :)

I love his expression in this one!

I can't believe how big he is getting and how much he's wanting to do these days. It's exciting and makes me sad all at the same time.

We're Back!

2011-11-27T08:25:00.000-06:00

We just got back into town late last night & we're exhausted! Our plans for today are very low key and include (and are limited to) staying in our pjs and watching Christmas movies. D has to work so it will be just Denver and I and I probably won't take any pics but I'll catch up with some tomorrow! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

East bound & Down

2011-11-22T22:47:00.000-06:00

We're packing up today to go visit D's family for Thanksgiving.

Denver is ready to go! It's our first road trip with him so wish us luck!

We had to stop and change his pants before his bottle. It was cold and windy so I didn't want to get him out of the warm car so I took Coco (who had been riding in the front seat next to D) and I got Denver out of his car seat and passed him up front. D changed his diaper on the front seat and then sat him up so hr could look around for a minute before we put him back I'm his car seat so we could get back on the road. We didn't have any issues and made it in a decent amount of time so our first road trip was a success!

Mommy's Little Sous Chef

2011-11-21T21:41:00.000-06:00

Guess who helped mommy cook dinner tonight?

He makes the funniest faces!

You can see those little arms were going crazy! Don't I have the cutest little helper?

My new friend, the Rattle!

2011-11-20T17:22:00.000-06:00

Guess who I finally got to grab his rattle? I'm really almost embarrassed to admit how long I have sat in front of this little boy everyday trying to get him to play with it.

I got him to grab onto it (finally)!

And he immediately got possessive! :)

Then he started waving his arm around. Next time, we'll work on waving the hand actually holding the rattle!

All that playing wore him out so we had to take a nap after that!

Our Little Turkey

2011-11-18T14:27:00.000-06:00

I heard Denver making some noise this morning so I got up and leaned over his bed and this is what I saw...

Is he not the sweetest little thing you have ever seen? I could just eat him up with a spoon! We fed him & he was in such a good mood we all stayed in bed talking and playing and mom tried to get a good picture but someone just kept looking at me like I was crazy...

All the picture taking must have worn him out so he had to take a nap.

Aren't those adorable? We're counting down to Thanksgiving by wearing our Turkey outfits and jammies. His mommy is obsessed with Holiday outfits so he has to start wearing them now to get use out of all of them. After our nap we had to have milk a change our clothes and take another nap so we could get ready to go grocery shopping.

Well we better get going - we have to stop being lazy & go get something done today! :)

My Friend for Life

2011-11-17T11:37:00.000-06:00

From the minute we met I was amazed by you. How comfortable you made me feel, how right it felt to be with you.

Soon I had thoughts running through my head like "Is he the one? Have I really found him? Is it possible to be this much in love?" Just one answer always came to mind and that answer still takes my breath away. Oh, yes!

You are my husband, and my friend for life and I can't wait to spend all of my tomorrows with you and love you more and more everyday!

Happy 4th Anniversary D! I love you more than words can say!

First Play Date

2011-11-16T21:41:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine is in town, visiting her parents with her two precious kiddos and they invited us over for a "play date" today. We were so excited to go! We woke up this morning and got a bath and our clothes on and of course a bottle and then we were all ready to go.

This is after I told him there would be a pretty girl there! :) We had a great time visiting and seeing the kiddos. They liked him & he enjoyed watching them play. Apparently all the excitement was exhausting! Denver fell asleep in the car about 5 o'clock and didn't wake up until 8:20!

I hated to disrupt his nap so I just let him sleep in his car seat. Oh, look at that sweet little face. He woke up, ate, had another bath, got his jammies on & guess who's asleep in my arms? If he sleeps that good every time, I think I see more play dates in our future!

The Baby in the Mirror

2011-11-15T20:50:00.001-06:00

Today during tummy time, I brought out my hair mirror. I don't know why I never really thought about a mirror before but Denver was obsessed with the one at the Drs office yesterday & he loves the one in the bathroom so it just made sense when the Dr mentioned it. Anyhow, today I propped him up on his boppy pillow and put the mirror under it - he loved it!

He smiled and laughed and cooed! I was so cute to watch.

He pushed and pushed until he was over the side of his pillow. At one point, his forehead was resting on the mirror and he still just smiled and cooed.

He played so hard with the baby that he wore himself out! We will definitely be doing this more often!

2 Month Well Baby Check

2011-11-14T23:53:00.000-06:00

Today we had Denver's 2 month well baby check.

Someone was sleeping so good this morning, I hated to disturb him. He had even wiggled out of his pillow without waking up.

I picked him up to change his diaper and get him dressed - he still didn't want to wake up.

He kept his eyes closed and slept the whole time and then all the way to the Dr. He woke up when we got into the waiting room & drank some milk.

YouTube Video

Then my sweet boy had to check everything out. He is always in such a good mood & is such a happy baby. We got so lucky! The Dr was very pleased with his progress and his strength. He said that he was very happy to hear all the things we have tried to find what works for Denver - he seems to think we've got a good regime & Denver is very healthy & seems very happy. He got measured (23 1/2" long) and then got weighed (14#, 10 oz.). He's in the 92nd percentile for weight & the 72nd for height. The Dr wasn't concerned with his weight - he said he isn't drinking more milk in 24 than he should be so he was pleased with his growth. Then, we had to get shots. He got 3 shots and then had one vaccine that he had to drink. He did really well. He cried some (and mommy did too). Daddy scooped him up to love on him but mommy was a little frantic & pushed him out of the way to get her baby :) I rocked him & he was asleep in no time. He woke up & we put him in his stroller and headed to get daddy's allergy shots.

He was all good by then. Such a sweet boy! We got home and just hung out the rest of the day. The shots didn't seem to bother Denver, but mom felt bad about them so we snuggled & cuddled a lot!

Those band-aides just break my heart! He was such a trooper though!

2 Months Old

2011-11-13T21:31:00.000-06:00

Guess who is already 2 months old? I cannot believe how fast the time has flown!

My sweet boy was waving to me! These days... He still wears 0-3 month clothes and a size 1 diaper. He started sleeping through the night last week and we couldn't be more thankful! He sleeps anywhere from 7 to 8 1/2 hours each night! He eats 4 ounces every 2 hours during the day most of the time but every so often he'll stretch it to 4 or sleep through a feeding, so I think he's trying to go longer. I've offered him more formula at each feeding to help him go longer but he doesn't want it. He drinks his 4 ounces and then he's done. He has upped his last bottle before bed to 6 ounces (occasionally). The "talks" and coos all day long! He's such a happy baby! He really moves his arms and legs a lot and by a lot I mean ALL the time. It's getting harder and harder to get pictures these days where one part isn't blurred because he is "waving" or kicking. We took him out in his stroller for the first time this past weekend and he loved it. We're having our first play date this week and we are very excited. He loves his bouncer, hates his activity mat, is growing tired of his swing, has mixed feelings about his bumbo and sleeps every night in his boppy pillow in his bassinet. He still loves bath time and just smiles and coos the whole time. He has discovered himself in the mirror and loves that little baby! We're going to start playing with a mirror during tummy time this week. He's starting to fuss and cry when I walk out of his sight (even for very short periods - like minutes). He's starting to fight his sleep & always has to have mommy rock him or bounce him to sleep. His little personality is really starting to emerge & we are having so much fun with him!

Milk Does A Body Good!

2011-11-13T15:27:00.000-06:00

Guess who is two months old today? Oh, I can't believe how quickly time flies. Everyone always says that it happens when you have children but it couldn't be more true with a little one. I live every day spending time with him and seeing him change and discover new things but it makes me sad at the same time. Anyhow, we have a Drs appointment tomorrow morning so I'll do his 2 month post then. Today, this little boy has been in such a good mood (which is mostly the case everyday). He has talked SO much today. He was hungry so I got his bottle ready but we were having a hard time finishing it because he hasn't realized he can't "talk" and drink at the same time.

YouTube Video

Is he not the sweetest thing? I literally sit and talk to this sweet boy all day long.

I teased him with his bottle and in the process got some on his face so I decided to give him a milk mustache but he didn't seem to mind. :)

He finally got his bottle down and then we rocked and had to take a nap. He's starting to get very comfy in his bouncer. He wiggles until he can recline or throw a leg over the side! He's a little stinker!

Custom Bow Holder

2011-11-12T14:58:00.001-06:00

My niece will be here in just three short months so I've been spending the last few days getting an idea if what I'm making for her room. I've already bought her a couple of bows and made her a few more so I knew for sure I wanted to make her a bow holder. I actually started with a sign I had but wasn't thrilled with in my laundry room. I took it outside and sprayed it with white primer three different times. Then I sprayed it with Krylon's "Peekaboo Blue" twice. Then I took it inside, designed the wording on my wonderful Silhouette machine and then when I went to cut the vinyl I realized that I didn't have the color I wanted so I decided to just cut the words out in black. I placed the words and decided to spray over the blue & vinyl and change the plaque to brown. I sprayed it with Rustoleum's "Espresso". I did three coats of the brown & when it dried I brought it inside & peeled the vinyl off. This gave it a hand-painted look without having to hand paint it. Then I made a bow in the rest of her nursery colors to tie it all together. First of all, I'll show you what her nursery bedding looks like...

Isn't it adorable? I love that it's not pink or purple! It's called "Sundae" by Cocalo. Without further ado, here is her bow holder:

So much of the stuff I'm making for her room is yellow and red so I really wanted to make sure I incorporated some blue and brown. I can't wait to see it hung up in her room!

Lounging

2011-11-11T23:58:00.000-06:00

The little person in our house lounged around with daddy today while mom was out running errands. The last couple of weeks, we've been going to Wal-Mart on Friday nights and get something to eat and head home (we're an exciting bunch, I know). I hadn't taken any pictures of the little man today so I took one of him before we headed out to Wal-Mart.

Adorable in his Baby Gap loungewear, isn't he? I love the socks the best! :) Denver and I are venturing out to our first wedding tomorrow evening. D works Sat & Sunday so a friend of mine is going with us. I'm a bit nervous - it's a ways away and we'll be gone for awhile but I'm looking forward to it. Wish us luck & enjoy your weekend!

Happy Birthday Aunt Bridgett

2011-11-10T18:10:00.001-06:00

Today is Denver's Aunt Bridgett's birthday and he had something he wanted to tell her...

We hope you have a great day Bridgett!

Crying It Out

2011-11-09T20:16:00.001-06:00

Today I decided to try to let Denver "cry it out". He's getting really bad about not going to sleep at all on his own and when he wakes up (except during the night) he refuses to go back to sleep unless I rock him back to sleep. Of course, I'd love to hold him and rock him all day but that's not realistic if I want to get anything done. Plus, I know when he starts daycare they aren't going to sit and rock him all day. After he ate this afternoon and had a clean diaper I put him in his swing and gave him his pacifier. He was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open so I thought it'd be a great time to let him put himself to sleep. He was content (and awake) for about 5 minutes before he started crying. And then he continued to cry and then escalated to screaming and carried on for 30 minutes and never fell asleep. I couldn't take it anymore and I went and picked him up and just seeing that little pink face all upset broke my heart. I sat down in my chair, and started rocking him and crying. It broke my heart that he would get that upset and all he was wanting was to be cuddled and loved on. I just keep thinking that he'll only be this little once and all too soon he won't want me to love and kiss all over him or rock him to sleep. So, at least for now, I don't think that "crying it out" is for us! Denver fell asleep while I was rocking him & my arm started going to sleep so I layed him down in my lap. Of course, I took a picture.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to let that sweet baby cry without picking him up and letting him know that his mommy is there for him. The decisions we make as parents are so hard sometimes!

Eating & Sleeping

2011-11-08T22:10:00.001-06:00

I have to brag! The little boy that lives in our house slept for SEVEN hours before he woke up to eat. His dad and I were so happy! We are just going to pray that he keeps it up! We're also working on our feeding schedule throughout the day. We used to have a very structured schedule but then he decided he wanted to eat every 2 hours and our schedule went out the window but the last two days he's been going longer between feedings and today he went 4 hours between each feeding but we've gone from 4 ounces to 5-6 so we're up to the big bottles now. That makes me a little sad - big boys use big bottles! Time is flying way too fast! On another note, this little boy is starting to fight his sleep big time! If he happens to doze off on accident, it's only for a minute or two before he springs awake and starts crying. He'll only go to sleep if mommy rocks him and he hasn't been sleeping a lot during the day lately. At most, we have 1 two to three hour nap & he's awake the rest of the day. He's sleepy enough to sleep more but I think he's afraid he's going to miss something! He's starting to stick his tongue out some & is really putting his hands in his mouth (not just when he's hungry anymore) and starting to rub his eyes when he's sleepy.

YouTube Video

He's growing up so fast!!!

Goodnight Grandparents!

2011-11-07T21:39:00.000-06:00

Just a little video from Denver...

YouTube Video

Longhorns & Rattles

2011-11-06T18:27:00.000-06:00

We were thinking about Papa Gibbons today and how we sure wish he was here to love on Denver. We know he's in Heaven looking out for this sweet baby boy but I sure do miss him & wish Denver could know him. Anyhow, he was a huge University of Texas football fan so Denver wore a UT outfit & we had tummy time & regular play time on our Longhorn blanket.

After tummy time, I introduced Denver to a new rattle. I shook and shook it and tried to get his attention a few times and I got it but he didn't seem very impressed.

YouTube Video

I think the more I make these videos the worse I get but he's adorable nonetheless!

A Gift of Diapers from the Stork

2011-11-05T17:30:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine's baby shower was today. This is her second child (she's having a girl and she has a 3 year old little boy) so it was a small shower. I bought her a few outfits but I also wanted to do something else that had a "personal touch" to it. I saw a picture on Pinterest the other day of a diaper gift. It was so adorable I decided to try to make one myself. Here it is...

It a receiving blanket and about 20 diapers (I used size 1s) that I rolled up and rubber banded. I layed them out on the blanket and then pulled it up and rubber banded the top of the blanket. I just continued to put diapers inside until it started to take shape. I took two ribbons and made a bow (just a regular bow) and tied it around the top. I used cardstock and my Silhouette machine to cut out all of the parts of the stork and then just glued everything together with a glue stick. There is nothing "permanent" so it can all be taken apart and be used! All in all, it was a easy gift to put together and a hit at the shower - I think I'll be making them from now on!

Hello!

2011-11-04T15:57:00.000-05:00

Not much going on around here but I wanted to post a picture for the grandparents.

So hello from this sweet boy! Hope you all have a good weekend!

It's a hard life!

2011-11-03T17:53:00.000-05:00

Someone had trouble waking up this morning. He fussed because he was hungry but he refused to open his eyes. He raised his head a bit but when mommy put him in his bumbo, he slumped over and rested his head on the side of it.

He did decide to help me hold the bottle but I think that was mainly to ensure it didn't go anywhere!

The Day After

2011-11-02T13:47:00.003-05:00

Halloween hit us hard! Everyone in this house was exhausted. We hit the ground running before 7am and didn't go to bed until after 1am yesterday morning. I'm used to fast paced and having a lot going on but I'll be honest - it's completely different with a little one!

So yesterday we woke up and Dad went to get his allergy shots while me and the little guy stayed at home and snuggled in the living room with Coco. After that, he took a nap for a few hours while mom used the computer. We had every intention of staying in our pjs all day long but there was a diaper situation that called for new clothes so we changed our clothes and then went back to my room for some tummy time and snuggling.

He didn't get upset during tummy time today, but I think he was too tired - he just layed there. After that, he sat in his bumbo for awhile.

This is him waving to his grandparents!

And Coco wanted to say hi too!

On a sidenote, I got that little rattle out you see in the picture for Denver and he wanted nothing to do with it. He didn't want to touch it, hold it, look at it or anything! Guess we'll try again tomorrow!

Recap: Denver's First Halloween

2011-11-01T20:48:00.020-05:00

We woke up bright and early and went into the kitchen to make some Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate. I found the recipe on Pinterest a few weeks ago and have been wanting to try it. I promptly deleted the recipe from my account - neither D nor cared for it. It's tastes way too much like you're drinking a pumpkin pie. I might have added a bit too many spices. It looked way too "spice-y". Oh well, it was worth a shot!

We got all of that cleaned up and went and got dressed and got everything ready to carve Denver's first pumpkin.

He started out asleep. I mean completely passed out, as you can see. Then he woke up & was MAD!!!

We had a bit of a meltdown for a few minutes. Then mom picked him up and rocked him and put him in his bouncer and all was golden. He had realized that it was nap time and he wasn't reclined back asleep and he just wasn't going to have any of that nonsense!

Then he helped dad carve the pumpkin.

And then he helped mom scoop out all of the "guts" and clean the pumpkin out. All of that carving and scooping made us work up an appetite so Denver and I went to the kitchen to make lunch while dad went to work.

He was very helpful!

We made ghostly grilled cheese & tomato soup but Denver opted for milk. Denver needed a nap after all that work, so mom washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen and did some chores while he napped. I got done and he was still napping so I decided to head into the office for a bit to finish up all of our goodies that we were taking to our friends.

He was still asleep so I decided to make a pacifier clip to match his little outfit. Not too shabby for my first one! When he got up, we headed outside to take some pictures.

Isn't this adorable? I made that sign a couple of weeks ago and that was the pumpkin his dad carved for him this morning.

Our little pumpkin! He sat there for the longest time and let me take pictures. Unfortunately, all of the ones that he's smiling in he's also looking away. Then we went inside and got dressed and Denver took a few minutes to open his "Treat" from mom and dad. Since he can't have candy - we decided that he needed some goodies.

He got a few books and a pumpkin bib, in a re-useable trick-or-treat sack that he can take trick-or-treating next year.

Then we tried our costume on and took a few pictures! He was all smiles! We drove over to my sister and brother-in-laws house so that he could take pictures with the big kids before they left to go trick-or-treating.

He wasn't as happy the second time around! We left there and went to a friend's house in the neighborhood so we could see their new house and they could see him. He was asleep for awhile but he woke up and he was ready to go home so he got fussy.

He had another meltdown and cried the whole way home. Aunt Mer was there to see him when we got home so he had a bottle and visited with her and he was all better.

Mom decorated his bumbo for the day!

And then he helped mom make some Halloween brownies for dad! He's such a good helper!

Didn't he do a good job?

Then it was bathtime and time to get our pjs on. After a full day, mom was ready for bedtime!

Isn't he so sweet?

He only slept like that for about half an hour and then he was up and wide awake until after 1am! I guess he was paying mommy back for keeping him up most of the day!

All in all, we had a great day and definitely a memorable "first" Halloween for little D. Now, if he'll only sleep in tomorrow! ;)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

We have a very busy day planned and are very excited about everything we're going to do today! We better get going but Denver wanted to say something first...

Hope you all have a great day!

'Twas the day before Halloween

2011-10-30T20:57:00.001-05:00

We've had a busy day! We started our morning with pumpkin shaped pancakes (using an extra large cookie cutter) and caramel cappuccinos (just milk for Denver). It was delicious!

Next year I'll remember to get orange food coloring!

Then we tried on our pumpkin outfit/costume.

YouTube Video

Denver told me how much he didn't like being a pumpkin. We then had an "accident" and had to change.

We decided to stay in the Halloween spirit and put our Jack-O-Lantern shirt on. And how adorable are those little jeans? They are still a little big on him but they are oh-so-cute! But, we had another accident so we had to change again.

I'm not really sure why but he's been very possessive with his burp cloths today. He had a death grip on this one! Then he took a good nap in his travel swing.

He decided that he needed to sleep with his burp cloth! Mommy decided to make a special trick-or-treat for some of Denver's friends.

Him and Coco kept me company while I made them! It took me longer than I would like to admit but I was pleased with how they came out! Then we got up and he helped me cook dinner (chili) and when we got done, we decided to record a video for his grandparents!

YouTube Video

He is getting so strong & really pushes against you. He can almost completely hold his head up on his own (still just a tad wobbly) - I'm really amazed at how strong his little neck is! Then we had our bath & got in our pjs and went back to mom & dad's room to watch a movie. He loves to lay on our bed and stare up at the ceiling fan! It wasn't long until Coco and him were both asleep.

My babies!

This is his favorite way to sleep! All in all, we had a good day & we're ready for daddy to be home from work so we can eat dinner and go to bed! The sooner we go to bed, the sooner we wake up & it'll be Denver's first Halloween! We have an exciting day planned tomorrow!

Denver's First Craft

2011-10-29T12:06:00.002-05:00

I saw a picture online a couple of weeks ago of a little plaque that someone had made for Halloween. They made little ghosts out of their children's footprints. It was adorable and looked really easy so little D and I decided to make our own!

This is the plaque I saw online.

I got a small wooden plaque at Hobby Lobby for $1.47 and spray painted it black. Then I got some black paint, some white paint, and googly eyes to make our ghosts. I already had ribbon so we just got to work! We got down to just our diaper so we didn't get paint on our clothes. Then we painted his little feet and got ready to stamp! He did really well - he just pulled his feet back some so one footprint is a little faint while the other's toes look funny because mom was still trying to press down while he was already clearly done! :) I let everything dry, then glued on the eyes, then made mouths with some black paint & the end of a pencil and then I used my Silhouette machine to cut some green vinyl to add to it. Then I took some Halloween ribbon and glued it to a larger purple ribbon to create a border. I glued that to the back of the plaque to hang it. Then I added a little orange bow and a jack-o-lantern embellishment to the center of the bow and we were all done. Isn't it cute? I'm really pleased with how it came out. I think the different "styles" of ghosts give it character and a story to tell (of how it was made). And you can see a little more of the ribbon hanger here. I just love it! I think he did amazingly well on his first craft and only being 6 weeks old! :)

To the Grandparents

2011-10-28T21:31:00.000-05:00

Big D, little D and I just got back from Wal-Mart. I started to stay home with little D since the temperature has dropped quite a bit but then I figured it be probably a week before I had a chance to get out of the house again so we wrapped little D up like it was 30 degrees outside and away we went. Well, it wasn't that quick. D got ready while I got little D dressed then he fed him while I got dressed then I found something warmer for him to wear so I changed his clothes while D took Coco out. Then I put her in her box and made sure everything we needed was in his bag while he put little D in the carseat. We grabbed our bag, keys and kiddo and THEN away we went. We actually have a pretty good system down and managed to make it out of the house in about 45 minutes so I was highly impressed with us! Little D fell asleep before we were even out of the driveway! We stopped at Hobby Lobby & I ran in while he boys stayed in the car and then we went to Wal-Mart. We were there for about 2 hours, through a feeding and little D never woke up. We actually spent time looking at stuff and walking around because he wasn't bothered! It was such a wonderful trip! Right after we checked out & started out to the car he started whining a bit but we had a bottle ready and that's exactly what he was wanting! I fed him while D loaded the groceries in the car and we had a happy little guy! We got home and I changed him while D unloaded the car. Then, he was wide awake and asked me to record a message for his grandparents before he went to bed.

YouTube Video

Hello and goodnight to all of his grandparents! We all love you all and miss y'all! :)

The Great Pumpkin

2011-10-27T21:06:00.001-05:00

I love "The Great Pumpkin" the classic Charlie Brown story/movie so I wanted to make sure we watched it with Denver when it came on tv this year. Guess what came on tv tonight and guess what we missed? I suppose it's ok since he's not old enough to know but I still hate it. After our bath tonight, we sat up and made sure to read the book. I even let him wear his Great Pumpkin outfit to bed instead of pjs! :)

We'll have to get better about recording it next year!

Hanging Out - Update

2011-10-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

About 10 minutes after I posted the last blog, this is what happened: He finally wore himself out! I picked him up & took him to the living room and put him in his bouncer so I could start dinner. He wiggled around and kicked his blanket off and made himself comfy! Isn't he adorable? I barely got dinner ready and he woke up. I think he was afraid that he would miss something! I have no idea where he gets that! ;) Then he was wide awake through bath, our night night bottle and finally went to sleep right before Dad got home at 10:30! But with a face like that - who wouldn't want to hang out with him all day?

Hanging Out

2011-10-26T18:12:00.001-05:00

There's a little person that lives in this house that refused to sleep today. So, we went into my room and I sat in bed and let him lay beside me and we "hung out" and watched a Lifetime movie.

YouTube Video

He talks a lot during movies. We'll have to work on that later on! :)

Goodnight!

2011-10-25T17:07:00.001-05:00

Denver is normally awake for a bit after his last bottle before we go to sleep so we layed him in our bed while we watched a little tv. He was so happy and content, it was fun to watch him wiggle around and "talk" to us. He told us he wanted to tell his grandparents Goodnight, so we let him record this video...

YouTube Video

Goodnight & sweet dreams Memaw, Nana & Papa! I love all of you and can't wait to see you all soon!

6 Weeks

2011-10-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

Denver, You are 6 weeks old today! I can't believe how fast time is flying. It seems like we just brought you home last week. I wanted to write these things down so that I don't forget. Right now: You're in a size 1 diaper. You're wearing 0-3 month clothes. You weigh 14 pounds. You're eating 4 ounces every 2 hours during the day and you eat 3 times a night. Normally around midnight, 3 and 6. Twice you've slept almost 5 hours between feedings and only ate twice. I'm hoping that starts happening more often! We finally have your tummy issues under control. I felt like we were conducting a science experiment for awhile. It was definitely trial and error. You now drink Similac Soy liquid (ready to feed) with gas drops after every bottle and 1 1/2 ounces of prune juice three times a day to help you potty. I finally got you to switch over from Drop Ins to Dr Browns bottles. I like them because it doesn't seem to take you as long to eat which is a huge plus at 3am! You're starting to "talk" a LOT! Your dad and I love it. We could sit & listen to you all day. You're kicking your legs and waving your arms all the time. You're very expressive & your little arms & legs are getting so strong! You love to have your diaper changed. I think you like being naked! It's cute now but that will have to change before you're a teenager! :) You went to Walmart with me for our first grocery shopping trip together yesterday & you did great! You got hot, hungry & fussy at the end while we were checking out but we made it! Everyday your personality shows a little more and your dad and I are having a blast getting to know you and trying to decide who you are most alike!

Splish Splash

2011-10-24T00:47:00.000-05:00

Last night in the bathtub, I took Denver's little feet and moved them back and forth in the water to splash. He loved it! He was smiling and cooing. I did it a few times and then he started moving his arms and legs and trying to splash too! I had my phone on me so I took a little video of him "splashing"!

YouTube Video

His little legs are getting do strong he'll be splashing water everywhere in no time!

Sibling Rivalry

2011-10-23T15:25:00.001-05:00

Coco has been so good with Denver. She doesn't get in his face or on his stuff. She wants to be everywhere that he is and she gets upset when he starts crying, especially if she can't see him. Sometimes when he's fussy & on his changing table, she'll jump up on her back legs and rest her front little legs on the shelf so she can stretch and try to see him. It's really sweet. The last couple of days I've actually had a few minutes to be in the office and try to work on a few things so I moved Denver's travel swing in there and put it beside my chair. Normally (before Denver) when I was working in the office Coco would come up beside my chair and want me to pet her and love on her. This morning while working on the computer, she wanted to make sure that she didn't get forgotten.

She squirmed her way between me and Denver's swing, just to make sure she got some lovin'!

Getting Ready

2011-10-22T16:46:00.000-05:00

Mommy says we have to go to a baby shower today. I don't know what that is but she says that there will be lots of people that will want to see me and hold me. I like being held so I think it'll be ok. Mommy gave me a bath this morning so I would smell good for all the hugs and kisses. I like bath time. She put me in a new outfit. I don't know what that means but she has these weird things on my feet. I guess it'll be ok. After she put my clothes on she said I had to wait until she got ready before we could go. She had me sit in the bathroom so she could see me.

I like this chair thing. It's pretty comfy and I can sit up and look at stuff. Mom takes a long time getting ready. She keeps telling me that she is hurrying but I don't know what that means. I think I'm hungry. She is putting this stuff on her face and spraying different things that smell. When was the last time I had milk? Mom says she's almost done. Just a few more minutes. I need milk. Where's my milk? I'm tired of this chair. I want milk. (cue crying) -Denver

Denver's Birth Announcement

2011-10-21T18:36:00.000-05:00

I made Denver's birth announcement on www.shutterfly.com last week and they came in today. I couldn't be more pleased, I think they came out great!

Isn't it so sweet? I just love the black and white pictures! I got 75 announcements with tax and shipping for $55. I thought that was a pretty good deal. It was the first time I had ever used them and I'm sure I will again - they have some great stuff. :)

Mobile Time

2011-10-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

There is about half an hour or so a day where mommy really needs to get some stuff done and needs a way to pacify a certain little boy. So, I put him in his bed (it's the only time he's in there) and I crank up his mobile while I run around the house and try to be productive. I keep running back to his room to re-crank the mobile and then off to wash dishes, start supper, let Coco out, etc. and then back to re-crank it. It's a Godsend but I really wish someone would invent one that would play for about an hour. Don't get me wrong, all that running around is great exercise but it sure makes for one tired mommy! :)

YouTube Video

I think it's adorable how much he loves it! He could lay there forever watching it!

Tummy Time!

2011-10-20T04:26:00.000-05:00

We've had tummy time for a few minutes everyday but this is the first time I put Denver on his activity mat for it.

I started him out on his back just to get used to the idea of the mat and to have an opportunity to "take it all in". He did well so then I propped him up on his whale pillow and turned him over on his tummy.

YouTube Video

He lasted about a minute before he started getting upset. I think one of the things he hates the most is the texture of the mat. It's very slippery for a little guy and he can't get any traction/leverage. The little whale pillow is made of the same fabric so he just slides around. Maybe it won't be such an issue as he gets stronger.

Once he had enough of tummy time, I flipped him back over so he could enjoy the mat on his back but he wasn't a big fan by that point. We put the mat up & called it a day. We'll get it back out in a couple of days and see if we have any better luck!

Bath Time!

2011-10-19T04:08:00.000-05:00

Denver loves bath time. When he's super upset it's one of the only things that will calm him down. He's never cried during a bath. He just looks around and smiles and coos. It's the cutest thing.

He likes looking at himself in the mirror and staring at the lights.

He loves his tummy towel. What a great way to keep him warm!

And sometimes mommy plays around with him in the bath! :)

And then we get all dried off, have our baby massage, get all lotioned up and our pjs on, hair brushed and our ears cleaned out then it's time for bottle, some rocking and bedtime! There is nothing better than a sweet little clean, sleepy baby!

Mommy's Little Pumpkin

2011-10-18T04:07:00.000-05:00

Denver's first Halloween outfit!

Can you believe how big he's getting?

Snoozing

2011-10-17T04:04:00.000-05:00

Mommy likes to take lots of pictures of me when I sleep. She says that I look like an Angel. I don't know what that means but here's the evidence...

I have to go now, I'm hungry. Where's my milk? Where's my milk? (cue crying) -Denver

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-16T13:42:00.001-05:00

Today, we met up with Melanie and Matthew and took the boys to the pumpkin patch. It was so bright that Denver wasn't a big fan of being in the sun, but we were able to get a few pictures.

Denver had to eat before we did anything then he went right to sleep. Matt was so sweet with him and tried to hold him up but he was so afraid he would "break" him.

This picture literally makes me laugh out loud. One of his feet BARELY touched the hay and he bad a complete meltdown. Definitely not a fan of the hay!

A cute one but we couldn't get Matt to look at us or Denver to open his eyes at all because it was so bright. I couldn't resist putting him in that seat! And with daddy! He looks more like his daddy everyday! When we were leaving a lady told us "our little girl just turned one on October 1st - just wait until next year and the pumpkin patch will be so much fun. We were in your shoes last year." We can't wait to take them again next year!

Happy Birthday Memaw!

2011-10-15T14:38:00.001-05:00

Denver won't get to see his Memaw today so he wanted to make sure he got to wish her a Happy Birthday...

We hope you have a great day! We love you!

Nana & Papa Visit

2011-10-14T20:11:00.001-05:00

Tuesday we met Pops and Nana to pick Nana up for a visit. She stayed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night with us and Pops came to pick her up this morning. She was able to help me out by watching Denver so I could get out of the house and run some errands and handle some appointments. Before they left this morning, we took some pictures. Denver never woke up the whole time!

Nana & Denver

Papa & Denver

Nana, Papa and Denver

1 Month Old

2011-10-13T19:40:00.000-05:00

Denver is 1 month old today! I can't believe this last month has gone by so fast. Here is our 1 month picture:

And what he's up to these days: Drinking 4 ounces every 3 hours (day and night). He is on his 5th different type of formula (since we stopped breastfeeding) and we finally found one that agrees with his tummy! Wearing newborn clothes and newborn diapers but we'll be moving up on both this week. Holding his head up a little longer each day. He is starting to push on anything he can with his legs, especially the side of his little bathtub. He likes to swing (on the highest speed) but only for 20-30 minutes at a time. He LOVES his mobile and will stare at it and watch it for an hour if you keep re-starting it for him. He loves bath time and does so well every night! He wants to be held a lot. He doesn't like being put down. ;) He loves to snuggle and sleep on your chest! He grunts SO much. He wakes me up really early every morning with his grunting. He hates his activity/tummy time mat. He smiles more and more everyday and his smile completely melts his father and my heart! He sat in his bumbo seat for the first time today and loved it. He is so alert and loves to look around. He's not consistent with napping during the day. One day he'll sleep all day long and the next he will only have two or three 30-45 minute naps. He has to wear mittens because when he gets mad, he grabs his face and just scratches like crazy. We are battling some mild baby acne. His hair is starting lighten up and looks more red everyday!

Baby Bird

2011-10-12T07:54:00.000-05:00

This is a middle of the night feeding. We stopped to burp and this was too priceless not to get a picture.

That's my baby bird...waiting for more milk!

4 Weeks Old

2011-10-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

I can't stop taking pictures of this sweet boy!

Napping in the bassinet in the living room.

Up from our nap, watching Paula Deen with mommy.

He sleeps in his pack-n-play (the bassinet part) and I keep his boppy pillow in it and place him in the middle to keep him secure and from sliding around BUT this little stinker has started "scooting" and winds up like this sometimes.

All smiles - even at 3am!

"Talking" to daddy. Everyday, this little boy changes so much it's crazy!

Bedtime

2011-10-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

It's bedtime around here and isn't this snugglebug adorable?

"Gunk" Recipe

2011-10-10T07:55:00.000-05:00

I've had quite a few people ask me about the recipes I used when I did all the cooking before Denver arrived, so I thought I'd share them. While we were at the Farmer's market, I picked up a few bags of dried beans. I like cooking beans on low for a few hours and you can get a 2# bag of them for less than what 2 cans would cost you at the grocery store. I bought black beans and pinto beans this time but they have SO many different kinds to choose from that you can really create some variety for very little money. I know a lot of people, especially chefs will tell you to soak your beans overnight to speed up the cooking process but call me weird or old fashioned - I love the smell of beans cooking so I get out my grandmother's old bean pot (that only has one handle now and a dark "water" line so I know exactly how full to fill it) and put the beans in, put in twice as much water as beans, add a packet or two of "Goya Jamon flavoring" which is pork flavoring, some black pepper and a bit of garlic powder. I don't add any salt since I let them cook for 4 hours or so and salt concentrates as it cooks. I check them every so often and as water as needed. Instead of the Jamon - you can use ham hocks, or bacon but those little packets are so easy I just normally do that. Once I get them cooked and let them cool, I put some up and labeled them so we'd have some "sides" of beans for a couple of dinners. Then, I browned some hamburger meat (I use 97/3 so I don't have anything to drain) and add a couple of cans of stewed tomatoes and mix it together with the beans. Then, I boil some rice (usually about a cup) and add that to the mixture. Test a bite - it will probably need some salt and maybe a little more garlic powder and that's it - thats "Gunk". I have no idea how it got that name or where the recipe came from but my mom always made it with leftover pinto beans when we were growing up. It's cheap, filling and a great way to make sure no beans go to waste. I put everything in freezer safe Tupperware and when I wanted to serve it for dinner I ran the container under some hot water to loosen it from the Tupperware then stuck the frozen block in a casserole dish, covered the bottom with water, covered it with foil and baked it for an hour at 400 degrees. I took it out once to make sure it was all broken up & to stir it. It was as good as it was fresh! I'll share the recipe for baked potato soup next time!

Pictures

2011-10-07T11:21:00.001-05:00

He likes to hold on to it so he can chunk it to cry :)

He slept so soundly like this for all of 10 minutes while mommy stood at the end of the bassinet looking at him & trying to make sure he was asleep. As soon as I walked off, he woke up crying.

Drying off with our puppy dog towel.

Sweet boy!

He's this alert pretty much all day long. I think we have the only newborn that doesn't sleep all day - or even half of it! I can't believe how much he has changed and how much his personality has developed in just 3 weeks! He'll be 4 weeks old on Tuesday. Oh, how time is flying!

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

2011-10-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

Before Denver was born, I cooked up a lot of stuff and filled our deep freezer so that I wouldn't have to worry about cooking once we got home. One of the things I made was a Cheesy Zucchini Casserole that I found on allrecipes.com We had never tried it before but one of the fabulous things about allrecipes is that you can type in ingredients that you have and then search recipes based on them. A fantastic way to ensure your ingredients don't go to waste because you don't know what to do with them. Anyhow, I layed the casserole dish in the fridge yesterday morning and then about an hour before D was supposed to get up, I put the dish in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees. It was delicious so I thought I'd share the recipe (I didn't take any pictures): Ingredients: 1/2 cup uncooked white rice 1 cup water 1 pound pork sausage 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 cup diced fresh tomato 4 cups cubed zucchini squash 2 (4 ounce) cans sliced mushrooms, drained 1 (8 ounce) package velveeta cheese, cubed 1 pinch dried oregano salt and pepper to taste Directions: Combine the rice and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cook sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until evenly browned. Drain excess grease. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes, and cook until tender. Stir in rice, mushrooms, and cheese. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish, or a 2 quart casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned and bubbly. Because I was freezing the casserole, I didn't bake it. I let it cool, put on an airtight lid, labeled and dated the contents and then stuck in the freezer. Enjoy!

Getting my freezer ready for a baby!

2011-10-05T17:22:00.000-05:00

In the few weeks before Denver was born, I spent time cooking up a bunch of stuff and stocking my freezer for when we got home and we didn't want nor feel like cooking. We made a trip to the Farmer's Market and spent about $75 and then went to the grocery store and spent about $100 (on meat, butter, oil, eggs, cheese, etc.) and then got home and got to cooking! My plan was to make as much as I could with as little as possible and not waste anything! (We're bad about getting stocked up at the Farmer's Market and then stuff going bad before we use it). I stretched things as far as I could while still making everything "hearty" to please my husband. For example, I bought two whole fryers and boiled them (with poultry seasoning, chicken bouillabaisse and pepper) then split the chickens in half and used half for a chicken pot pie and the other half for chicken and rice. Then split the other chicken between chicken enchiladas and chicken tortilla soup and then used all the broth from the chickens instead of buying chicken broth. I bought various dry beans, a 5 pound bag of rice, tomatoes (lots and lots), tomatillas, peppers, carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, squash, zucchini, corn, okra, lemons, bananas, cabbage, mustard greens, purple hull peas, and zipper cream peas. I cooked all the peas and greens and put those up. Then I started cooking beans and put some of those up and then used the rest in recipes (chicken tortilla soup, gunk, etc). Then I stewed tomatoes and split them up between okra & tomatoes and spaghetti sauce. I continued on like that until everything was all used up! Then, I started making pancakes, muffins and bread to put up. I kept a serving or two out (of muffins and pancakes) to eat the day I made them and then froze the rest. Here is the stuff I made: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Beef Burrito Pie Chicken Pot Pie Chicken Enchiladas Cheesy Zucchini Casserole Baked Potato Soup Ham & Baked Potato Soup Chicken Tortilla Soup Gumbo Squash Casserole Cabbage Roll Casserole "Gunk" (pinto beans, stewed tomatoes, hamburger meat & rice) Black Beans Pinto Beans Boiled Cabbage Steamed Squash Glazed Carrots Tomatilla Salsa Zipper Cream Peas Purple Hull Peas Sausage & Veggie Medley Okra & Tomatoes Mustard Greens Potato Salad Chicken and Rice Lemon Bars Buttermilk Pancakes Light Oat Bread Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins Orange Juice Muffins Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice Then, I finished my freezer with some ready-made things to make life a little easier: Frozen Vegetables Frozen Fish Garlic Bread Frozen Lasagna Cinnamon Rolls Crescent Rolls Grands Buttermilk Biscuits Hot Dogs Hot Dog Buns Denver is 3 weeks old and this is what my freezer looks like:

Believe it or not, it had more than this in it!

We'll be eating on this "stash" for awhile! This definitely was the smartest thing I did before Denver arrived. It has been a lifesaver!

Just My Luck!

2011-10-04T17:14:00.000-05:00

Because if I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all my "new" dryer is messed up! The first few times I used it, it worked fine. Then as the days went on it was taking me longer and longer for everything to get dry. Then, I noticed the dryer wasn't getting hot at all - even after I ran the 70 minute heavy duty cycle. Then, we knew something was really wrong when after 5 or 6 of those heavy duty cycles, even Denver's clothes weren't dry. That's a serious problem. Because I'm a firm believer than Google holds the answer to just about everything - I turned to google to do some research about the dryer and possible solutions to our problem. D got busy following all of the instructions that I found - checking the vent line, breaker box, continuity of some lines on the back of the dryer and then ultimately the heating element. We didn't want to assume that it was that off the bat "just in case" but it wound up being that. So, D ordered a new one because we found directions on installing a new one. It should be here in 3-5 days and then hopefully my laundry service will be back in business! Do you know how hard it is with a newborn not to be able to wash and dry quickly? Wish us luck that we'll (I'm clearly referring to D) be able to fix it and not have any more issues! :)

My Babies

2011-10-03T10:30:00.001-05:00

Coco has been very good with Denver. She gets upset when he's upset - especially when she can't see him, like when he's in the bath tub or on the changing table but they have been sharing mommy's attention & lap well.

Here they both are sharing my lap, just looking at each other. Aren't they sweet?

Sunday Funday

2011-10-02T23:11:00.000-05:00

Before my in-laws left to go back home, we decided to go eat lunch. Since Denver is colicky, I was very apprehensive about taking him out. I didn't want to get there and him start screaming and then spend the rest of lunch in the car trying to calm him down. D insisted that I get out of the house so I got Denver dressed and decided to attempt an outing. I was able to get him to sleep for about 45 minutes while I packed his bag and got ready. Here he is asleep in his pack-n-play (in the bassinet).

Doesn't he look adorable? Then when we got home, we hung out, watched tv and did a lot of rocking (when Denver got fussy again). D took him and was able to get him calmed down and they snuggled for awhile so mommy could eat dinner.

My sweet boys. Both of them getting tired!

I just love those two! All in all, we had a fun day and although there is still a lot of gas issues and crying - Denver seems to be doing a lot better than he was. Pray that he continues to feel better everyday!

Grandsons

2011-10-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

Pops was finally able to hold both of his grandbabies at the same time today since Bridgett, Andy, Clay, Jackie and him came into town for Jackie's birthday to see Denver. Here is Pops, Clay (10 months) and Denver (18 days).

Can you tell he is in Heaven?

Denver's 2 Weeks Old

2011-09-29T15:44:00.001-05:00

Up until Sunday, we'd been having a wonderful time getting used to each other and snuggling a lot. Then on Sunday, things changed. Since then we've had lots of crying and screaming, some issues with pottying, lots of restless sleep. Needless to say - it's been very stressful around here. It's so heartbreaking when he's so upset and I have no idea why or what to do. He's 100% bottle fed now so we switched his formula to a sensitive one, we've been burping lots and lots, using Mylicon gas drops, Karo syrup and have had to use infant glycerin suppositories and we had a good day yesterday but so far today, things haven't been so good. Lots of crying, screaming, grunting, red faces, etc. and only one 45 minute nap and he's been up for over 8 hours. I'm just praying that we can get it all figured out soon and get this sweet boy to feeling better. Anyhow, yesterday we went for Denver's 2 week check up and he is growing despite all of his tummy issues. He is making great eye contact, that the Dr seemed to be very impressed with. He's very alert, and is already gaining muscle control and has been trying to hold his head up since birth. His little neck gets stronger everyday! We have had quite a few people tell us how great is muscle tone is and how strong he is! Here are his 2 week stats: Head: 14.84" (62.20%) Height: 21" (60.09%) Weight: 9 lb, 1 oz (58.03%) Now just pray we can get his tummy issues straight!

I love Daddy!

2011-09-28T17:48:00.001-05:00

Denver loves bath time but since his tummy issues, he's been very, very fussy. Daddy helped with bath time last night and Denver clamped down on his finger and wouldn't let go.

Isn't this sweet? I could just eat this little boy up with a spoon!

Mobile Fun!

2011-09-27T17:44:00.000-05:00

Denver has had a lot of issues with gas & constipation so we've had 2 days of crying and screaming with very little relief. I had to potty so I put him in his crib for just a few minutes and turned the mobile on for him and surprisingly, he calmed down.

Look how much he liked it! I stood beside his crib for over an hour and re-started it every time it turned off. Then, he had enough and started getting fussy again but that was an hour of pure joy for the both of us! Pray that we'll get all of his tummy issues straightened out soon. It just kills me when he's so upset and in pain.

Newborn Pictures

2011-09-26T18:18:00.001-05:00

Saturday, we traveled to Deer Park, TX to see Deb from Photos by Deb to have Denver's newborn pictures taken. He did so well! No crying, or fits and he let us position him in lots of different pictures. We did have a situation where he peed on the photographer but she just took it in stride and got some great shots. She sent me some previews. Here they are:

Of course, because I'm a new mom & still getting used to packing the house before we leave - I layed out his "special" clothes and then forgot them on the kitchen counter so we took a few pictures in his yellow & white pjs.

When we change his diaper at home, he keeps his legs together and it's hard to get in to the important spots to get everything clean. When we took his clothes off and started posing him - it was the exact opposite. It was almost impossible to get him to keep his legs closed. He was trying to show off!

This is by far, my favorite picture. Oh, how I love these two! Now, we just wait for the rest of the images. I can't wait to see them!

Look How Smart I Am?

2011-09-23T17:38:00.000-05:00

I've had to give Denver some bottles. He doesn't seem to mind. Look what he figured out how to do...

Can you believe it? He propped it up with his left hand and held onto it with his right. I can't get over how smart he is!

Sweet Dreams!

2011-09-22T17:11:00.001-05:00

I can't stop taking pictures of this sweet baby boy. He was having some issues with his sinuses (he had some issues in the hospital as well) and we were told to give him just a couple of drops of a saline solution. He woke up all stuffy & upset so mommy changed his diapers and gave him some drops and then propped him up on a pillow in my lap. In just about 10 minutes, he was breathing better and was back to sleep.

I just adore this little face!

Isn't he just the sweetest thing? I wonder what he was dreaming about? Probably milk! That's pretty much his favorite thing ever! :)

Pictures of Denver!

2011-09-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

Just some pictures of my Angel...

I can't believe this sweet little guy is already a week old!

First Bath

2011-09-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

Our first bath went well and didn't involve any tears so we're going to call that a success!

I made sure he was constantly covered with a warm cloth. Since he didn't get cold, he stayed content. I love his face in this picture! He definitely wasn't sure about it at first!

Isn't he adorable??

Doctors Appointments

2011-09-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

Denver's bilirubin levels were high in the hospital & they told us that there was a possibility that we would be released & he would be re-admitted to the pediatric unit for more tests & treatment for jaundice. Luckily, the day we were supposed to go home he tested "intermediate high" for jaundice. You only have to stay if their levels are "high". We had to set up a Drs appointment the next day to gave his levels checked again. They were still elevated so we had to make an appointment that Saturday to have him checked again. We went on Saturday and his levels had gone up from the day before so we had to make an appointment to have him checked on Monday. Thankfully, when we got his results on Monday, his levels had gone down and he didn't have to be placed under any lights & he doesn't have to keep being checked. My poor baby's heels looked so pitiful so that makes me very happy!

My sweet boys! D is so good with him!

In the car on the way!

Waiting for the Dr!

Daddy on diaper duty!

Meeting Cousin Matthew

2011-09-18T15:33:00.000-05:00

Denver loves his big cousin Matthew!

And Matthew loves him!

Aren't they sweet together?

Our First Night Home

2011-09-15T21:32:00.000-05:00

We put Denver's play yard in our room next to our bed because it has a built in bassinet. It makes me rest easier knowing that Denver is literally just a foot away.

Doesn't he look so sweet?

We're Going Home!

2011-09-15T15:31:00.000-05:00

We're on our way home to start our new life as a family!

Door Bell Sign

2011-09-15T07:39:00.002-05:00

I've been wanting some kind of sign to hang by or on the front door to keep the UPS man from ringing the door bell. D works at night and sleeps during the day & when the UPS man rings the doorbell Coco goes crazy and wakes him up. I don't want to have the same situation with Denver when we get home with him. While playing around on Pinterest the other day I saw the most adorable sign to hang by the front door (made by Amy).

I read her tutorial (which now I can't find to link to) & decided to make one like it. I started with a pre-cut, thin wooden sign in the unfinished wood section at Hobby Lobby for 99 cents. I got D to drill a small hole on each side of the sign so that I could run ribbon through it and hang it when I got finished. I spray painted it heirloom white and decided that I didn't like it so then I spray painted it Italian Olive (two coats).

I brought it in and it looked liked this.

Then I took a small piece of 400 grit sandpaper and sanded down the entire front and spent a little extra time on the edges so that the white would come through.

Then I got out some antiquing medium. I had some issues paying $2.99 for that bottle but I used SO little, that it should practically last me forever which makes it easier to swallow.

I put a small amount on a paper towel and rubbed it in circular motions all over the sign and spent a little extra time on the edges to make it a little darker there.

I put a little more on the paper towel and "blotted" it onto the sign in a couple of places and then set it to the side to let it dry.

While it was drying, I made the words in brown vinyl on my Silhouette. I cut the words out seperately because I was undecided on the layout that I wanted, so I wanted to be able to play around with it a little. The fonts I used were "Mr and Mrs Popsicle", "Cheri" and "Clingy".

This is what it looked like when finished.

Then I just took some brown ribbon that I already had and folded it over and ran it through the back to the front on the left side. I knotted it and then took the access and brought it through the back to the front on the right side. I lined it up so that the ribbon would be even and tied my knot on the right side. I cut off all the extra ribbon and then used a lighter to heat seal the ends.

I decided that the bottom left corner was too bare, so I played around with my Silhouette software until I found a moon and stars that I liked, to add to it. I cut it out with the same brown vinyl and added it to the corner.

And this is my final product! Isn't it adorable? I'm really please with how it turned out and I can't wait to hang it up.

Denver's First Day

2011-09-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of Denver's first day (still in the hospital)...

Sleeping baby!

Mommy & Denver

Daddy & Denver

Sweet boy! I love those chubby cheeks!

Memaw & Denver

Our baby boy!

Breastfed/No Pacifiers Sticker

2011-09-14T07:44:00.000-05:00

A friend suggested that I mark on Denver's hospital name sign that he should be breastfed only so we would steer clear of any miscommunication with nurses, etc. while we are in the hospital. I thought that was a great idea, but didn't want to mess up his name sign (I couldn't figure out a way to incorporate it and keep it cute), so I decided to make one more quick little "sticker" to go on Denver's bed to make sure that everyone understands our wishes for him while we are there. Of course, I made it to match the rest of our "gear" we are taking up there.

I have a bag that has all of our stuff in it, so that it's easy to get to and I don't forget about anything. I made sure that I have a pair of scissors, a roll of scotch tape, and a couple of command strips (for the wreath), so we should be all set once we get there!

Denver's First Night

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

We made it through our first night!

Sleeping after a 1am feeding!

Mom & Denver after nursing

Dad is worn out!

Up early to help mom nurse (he was so great at setting up pillows, handing me Denver, keeping my water fresh, etc).